amen. if ISU wins it will be easy to keep on the ISU train. Why? hoops schools as you mentioned and we both absolutely LOATHE Iowa and UCONN can kiss my butt with the disrespect nonsense of playing in freakin Boston lol
Illinois matchup
- Thread starter PizzaTheHutt
- Start date
Man….it is tough trying to get “Illini fans” engaged for this game. I work/live in Chicago and work with like 5 people who went to UoI. I would bring up things to look out for in the game, talk about our team, and talk about some of the stats on Kenpom/etc.
None of them are nearly as invested or “I start watching during the B10 tournament.”
Is that the same with folks in Des Moines area?
I have clients in Central IA who are Clones and love to talk about our school and our athletics. It hurts here sometimes and no one is nearly as invested in this game as I am.
None of them are nearly as invested or “I start watching during the B10 tournament.”
Is that the same with folks in Des Moines area?
I have clients in Central IA who are Clones and love to talk about our school and our athletics. It hurts here sometimes and no one is nearly as invested in this game as I am.
Really? I thought they made a lot of tough shots to keep up with our guys. I was nervous for a bit because they seemed to be hitting everything and we had such a slow start.
I went back and rewatched it on Monday night as I felt the same thing but realized they were only 4-23 from 3. I think our slow shooting start made it feel like they were making shots but outside of Wells carrying them in the first half they really missed an opportunity to bury us.
it gets more as you go downstate in Illinois. But I assume you just have an unfortunate sampling of U of I allums sadly
Here is an interesting one I would like to get your take on. The main Illinois site has this nugget: "According to a great snippet from kenpom, offenses tend to dictate games to defenses in general and particularly when two very good units meet."
First I have heard that. I always think D travels better etc but I am also a Bears fan so....
First I have heard that. I always think D travels better etc but I am also a Bears fan so....
Yeah geographically and culturally Illinois varies quite a bit. You would have more luck on the I-74 corridor from Galesburg to the border. The further you get away from there, the U of I often has suprisingly little inherent significance.
I know my cousin (Illinois grad) is very similar in that he generally roots for pro sports and Iowa football (family connection) and kind of only identifies with Illinois when it is convenient and they are winning.
He lived and worked in Chicago and Peoria his entire adult life, and he's been that way for 25 years.
Now my family that lives like 15 minutes from Champagne? They live and die with Illinois basketball. So do their neighbors and other locals.
There are TONS of Cyclones that are the same way. The ones that love ISU but don't really follow it like we do. Come March, all their FB stuff is about the basketball team 
With big schools you're going to get some of that.
With big schools you're going to get some of that.
Yeah Washington state had a very sticky quality to their offense all year, in that they were kind of sneaky clutch when they needed to be, but overall nothing special.
I mean that as a compliment tho. They were mentally tough and competed way above their ability, a quality I admire about them. We definitely have some of that in us, too. They are a good team.
Their weird little coach deserves a ton of credit for that, along with their weird collection of misfit gamers lol.
In general, I don't necessarily disagree with kenpom's assertion here whole cloth.Here is an interesting one I would like to get your take on. The main Illinois site has this nugget: "According to a great snippet from kenpom, offenses tend to dictate games to defenses in general and particularly when two very good units meet."
First I have heard that. I always think D travels better etc but I am also a Bears fan so....
What I would say is that I don't think it's relevant to playing Iowa State. Nothing about our defense is typical. It's almost an offensive style of defense, if that makes any sense (trust me, you will see what I mean almost immediately tomorrow night.)
We don't react and adjust, as is generally the case with defense. We attack and dictate. If you like defense, it's kind of fun and interesting to watch. It's almost reckless and irresponsible the way we defend.
[PS....Go Bears!]
What I noticed, in rewatching the ISU v WSU game was that their claim as the tallest team in the tourney is a little suspect, considering Issac Jones was 6'7" at the most and Wells was 6'5" or 6'6", Cuff was the only one that looked like he was within an inch of his listed height.
Agreed. They were a prototypical 7 through 10 seed imo. Decent team that can hang with an elite team if shots are falling or if the elite team doesn’t bring it. Honestly if we even started the game shooting it mediocre rather than absolutely horrendous we win by 20+.
Also noticed we were the only game playing during our offensive slump (UNC game was at half) and that is what America remembers? Maybe that’s why we aren’t getting any love?
Thanks and you are 100% right. I have many family members that are Illini still living in the Normal, Champagne area where I have been talking to often about the matchup.
Just surprised that it’s a much lax conversation when talking here in Chicago.
You nailed it.
A lot of pretty average Syracuse teams made deep runs simply due to teams not use to playing against the 2-3.
Cyclonepride
Thought Police
Definitely. If you survive the aggression, you probably get an open shot. The problem is that usually you are surprised to get it and aren't in rhythm.
Can't believe this game is still 34 hours away....
I have family in the Tuscola/Atwood area and can vouch that there a lot of passionate Illini fans down there. I myself live in Dubuque, which is just across the river from East Dubuque, IL, Galena etc. Nobody knows or cares about the Illini up here. Weird demographics of college fans in IL.
Yeah good point. The turnovers are visible and easy to track. But what might be even more important and impossible to quantify is the number of times we force teams to take shots when they are too open and suprised, so they overthink it or aim, or they are too eager to do something when it isn't quite there because they aren't sure they can even retain possession to get another one, let alone find a better shot.
